Disabled Workers, West Midlands (Hansard, 18 November 1963)

§ 13. Mr. Swingler
asked the Minister of Labour what attention his Department is giving to the need for more opportunities for employment for disabled workers in the West Midlands, with particular reference to Newcastle-under-Lyme.

§ Mr. Whitelaw
Our Department is constantly seeking ways of promoting the employment of disabled people, both in the Midlands and elsewhere in the country. The disablement resettlement officers make every effort to secure suitable employment opportunities by submitting them to notified vacancies and by making special approaches to employers on their behalf.

§ Mr. Swingler
Has not the time come for a more radical approach and for the hon. Gentleman's Department to take some initiative? Is he aware that, especially in the mining areas, an increasing number of disabled workers are suffering considerable frustration, some year after year, by not finding a suitable light industry in which to work? This may be a small core, but it is a hard core of unemployed. Could not some radical measure be taken to provide work for these people?

§ Mr. Whitelaw
While I accept that this is a very real difficulty, I do not think we should under-estimate what is being achieved, on the one hand for the more severely disabled by Remploy factories in the area—I understand Staffordshire County Council is to set up a small sheltered workshop—and, for the less disabled, our employment exchanges in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area last year filled 219 vacancies, of which 12 were in sheltered workshops.

§ Mr. Swingler
While we welcome what has been achieved, will not the hon. Gentleman nevertheless admit that Remploy touches only a fringe of the problem of most severely disabled, a very small number, and still leaves quite a substantial number of disabled workers who are completely frustrated?

§ Mr. Whitelaw
I do not think I ever suggested that Remploy did more than cater for the severely disabled. Inevitably there are not very large numbers of them, but one has to appreciate that a considerable amount has been done. I recognise that there is a particular problem in this area, and I shall certainly consider it.